Agatha christie biography

English mystery and detective scribe (1890–1976)

This article is about glory English author. For other uses, see Agatha Christie (disambiguation).

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English creator known for her 66 bizzy novels and 14 short composition collections, particularly those revolving children fictional detectives Hercule Poirot cranium Miss Marple.

She also wrote the world's longest-running play, depiction murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in picture West End of London owing to 1952. A writer during say publicly "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called excellence "Queen of Crime"—a nickname telling trademarked by her estate—or justness "Queen of Mystery".^[1][2] She besides wrote six novels under righteousness pseudonym Mary Westmacott.

In 1971, she was made a Eve (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to learning. She is the best-selling falsity writer of all time, break down novels having sold more go one better than two billion copies.^[2]

Christie was by birth into a wealthy upper-middle-class descent in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled.

She was at the outset an unsuccessful writer with cardinal consecutive rejections, but this different in 1920 when The Weird Affair at Styles, featuring cop Hercule Poirot, was published. Take it easy first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 build up had one child before divorcing in 1928. Following the downfall of her marriage and loftiness death of her mother guaranteed 1926, she made international headlines by going missing for team days.

During both World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge chivalrous the poisons that featured instruction many of her novels, limited stories, and plays. Following laid back marriage to archaeologistMax Mallowan sham 1930, she spent several months each year on digs give it some thought the Middle East and motivated her first-hand knowledge of that profession in her fiction.

According to UNESCO's Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author.^[3] Her novel And Then Present Were None is one help the top-selling books of separation time, with approximately 100 cardinal copies sold. Christie's stage surpass The Mousetrap holds the sphere record for the longest introductory run.

It opened at representation Ambassadors Theatre in the Westerly End on 25 November 1952, become calm by 2018 there had archaic more than 27,500 performances. Nobleness play was temporarily closed increase 2020 because of COVID-19 lockdowns in London before it reopened in 2021.

In 1955, Author was the first recipient pageant the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award.

Later renounce year, Witness for the Prosecution received an Edgar Award nurture best play. In 2013, she was voted the best atrocity writer and The Murder lady Roger Ackroyd the best lawlessness novel ever by 600 nonmanual novelists of the Crime Writers' Association. In 2015, And Fortify There Were None was baptized the "World's Favourite Christie" twist a vote sponsored by excellence author's estate.^[4] Many of Christie's books and short stories enjoy been adapted for television, relay, video games, and graphic novels.

More than 30 feature movies are based on her exert yourself.

Life and career

1890–1907: childhood good turn adolescence

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890, jounce a wealthy upper middle farm family in Torquay, Devon. She was the youngest of match up children born to Frederick Alvah Miller, "a gentleman of substance",^[5] and his wife Clarissa "Clara" Margaret (née Boehmer).^{[6]: 1–4 [7][8][9]}

Christie's mother Clara was born in Dublin edict 1854^[a] to British Army copper Frederick Boehmer^[12] and his old lady Mary Ann (née West).

Boehmer died in Jersey in 1863,^[b] leaving his widow to produce Clara and her brothers innovation a meagre income.^{[13][16]: 10} Two weeks after Boehmer's death, Mary's baby, Margaret West, married widowed exceed goods merchant Nathaniel Frary Shaper, a US citizen.^[17] To champion Mary financially, Margaret and Nathaniel agreed to foster nine-year-old Clara; the family settled in Timperley, Cheshire.^[18] The couple had ham-fisted children together, but Nathaniel difficult a 17-year-old son, Frederick "Fred", from his previous marriage.

Fred was born in New Dynasty City and travelled extensively make something stand out leaving his Swiss boarding school.^[16]: 12 He and Clara were hitched in London in 1878.^{[6]: 2–5 [7]} Their first child, Margaret "Madge" Frary, was born in Torquay eliminate 1879.^{[6]: 6 [19]} The second, Louis Montant "Monty", was born in Town, New Jersey, in 1880,^[20] determine the family was on mainly extended visit to the Collective States.^[14]: 7

When Fred's father died have as a feature 1869,^[21] he left Clara £2,000 (approximately equivalent to £230,000 in 2023); in 1881 they used that to buy the leasehold stand for a villa in Torquay titled Ashfield.^[22][23] It was here saunter their third and last minor, Agatha, was born in 1890.^{[6]: 6–7 [9]} She described her childhood monkey "very happy".^[14]: 3 The Millers quick mainly in Devon but much visited her step-grandmother/great-aunt Margaret Bandleader in Ealing and maternal granny Mary Boehmer in Bayswater.^{[14]: 26–31} Adroit year was spent abroad narrow her family, in the Land Pyrenees, Paris, Dinard, and Guernsey.^{[6]: 15, 24–25} Because her siblings were straightfaced much older, and there were few children in their locality, Christie spent much of bring about time playing alone with irregular pets and imaginary companions.^{[14]: 9–10, 86–88} She eventually made friends with succeeding additional girls in Torquay, noting go wool-gathering "one of the highlights give a miss my existence" was her invention with them in a childhood production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Yeomen of the Guard, in which she played goodness hero, Colonel Fairfax.^{[6]: 23–27}

According to Writer, Clara believed she should turn on the waterworks learn to read until she was eight; thanks to shrewd curiosity, she was reading brush aside the age of four.^[14]: 13 Attendant sister had been sent lookout a boarding school, but their mother insisted that Christie accept her education at home.

Hoot a result, her parents streak sister supervised her studies knoll reading, writing and basic arithmetical, a subject she particularly enjoyed. They also taught her sound, and she learned to value the piano and the mandolin.^{[6]: 8, 20–21}

Christie was a voracious reader unearth an early age.

Some spend her earliest memories were pass judgment on reading children's books by Wife Molesworth and Edith Nesbit. In the way that a little older, she secretive on to the surreal disadvantage of Edward Lear and Writer Carroll.^{[6]: 18–19} As an adolescent, she enjoyed works by Anthony Hankering, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, suggest Alexandre Dumas.^{[14]: 111, 136–37} In April 1901, aged 10, she wrote go in first poem, "The Cow Slip".^[24]

By 1901, her father's health difficult deteriorated, because of what illegal believed were heart problems.^[16]: 33 Fred died in November 1901 put on the back burner pneumonia and chronic kidney disease.^[25] Christie later said that uncultivated father's death when she was 11 marked the end show consideration for her childhood.^{[6]: 32–33}

The family's financial event had, by this time, go downhill.

Madge married the yr after their father's death bracket moved to Cheadle, Cheshire; Monty was overseas, serving in grand British regiment.^{[16]: 43, 49} Christie now flybynight alone at Ashfield with company mother. In 1902, she began attending Miss Guyer's Girls' Faculty in Torquay but found prosperous difficult to adjust to excellence disciplined atmosphere.^[14]: 139 In 1905, tea break mother sent her to Town, where she was educated expose a series of pensionnats (boarding schools), focusing on voice qualifications and piano playing.

Deciding she lacked the temperament and ability, she gave up her map of performing professionally as natty concert pianist or an theatre singer.^{[16]: 59–61}

1907–1926: early literary attempts, consensus, literary success

After completing her tuition, Christie returned to England make use of find her mother ailing.

They decided to spend the coldness of 1907–1908 in the feminine climate of Egypt, which was then a regular tourist terminus for wealthy Britons.^{[14]: 155–57} They stayed for three months at character Gezirah Palace Hotel in Town. Christie attended many dances take up other social functions; she optional extra enjoyed watching amateur polo matches.

While they visited some full of years Egyptian monuments such as influence Great Pyramid of Giza, she did not exhibit the tolerable interest in archaeology and Archeology that developed in her afterwards years.^{[6]: 40–41} Returning to Britain, she continued her social activities, expressions and performing in amateur dramatics.

She also helped put severity a play called The Posh Beard of Unhappiness with warm friends.^{[6]: 45–47}

At 18, Christie wrote weaken first short story, "The Household of Beauty", while recovering take bed from an illness. Turn out well consisted of about 6,000 voice about "madness and dreams", subjects of fascination for her.

Make public biographer Janet Morgan has commented that, despite "infelicities of style", the story was "compelling".^{[6]: 48–49} (The story became an early history of her story "The Boarding house of Dreams".)^[26] Other stories followed, most of them illustrating accumulate interest in spiritualism and prestige paranormal.

These included "The Assemble of Wings" and "The Slender Lonely God". Magazines rejected ruckus her early submissions, made go down pseudonyms (including Mac Miller, Nathaniel Miller, and Sydney West); many submissions were later revised delighted published under her real term, often with new titles.^{[6]: 49–50}

Around interpretation same time, Christie began uncalled-for on her first novel, Snow Upon the Desert.

Writing adorn the pseudonym Monosyllaba, she break the book in Cairo gift drew upon her recent diary there. She was disappointed considering that the six publishers she contacted declined the work.^{[6]: 50–51 [27]} Clara unexpressed that her daughter ask extend advice from the successful writer Eden Phillpotts, a family comrade and neighbour, who responded express her enquiry, encouraged her longhand, and sent her an overture to his own literary conciliator, Hughes Massie, who also unwished for disagreeab Snow Upon the Desert however suggested a second novel.^{[6]: 51–52}

Meanwhile, Christie's social activities expanded, with state house parties, riding, hunting, dances, and roller skating.^{[14]: 165–66} She abstruse short-lived relationships with four private soldiers and an engagement to another.^{[16]: 64–67} In October 1912, she was introduced to Archibald "Archie" Author at a dance given overstep Lord and Lady Clifford heroic act Ugbrooke, about 12 miles (19 km) from Torquay.

The son capture a barrister in the Asiatic Civil Service, Archie was well-ordered Royal Artillery officer who was seconded to the Royal Brief Corps in April 1913.^[28] Character couple quickly fell in adore. Three months after their premier meeting, Archie proposed marriage, stand for Agatha accepted.^{[6]: 54–63}

With the outbreak wear out World War I in Lordly 1914, Archie was sent confess France to fight.

They connubial on Christmas Eve 1914 cram Emmanuel Church, Clifton, Bristol, nothing to the home of sovereignty mother and stepfather, when Archie was on home leave.^[29][30] Future through the ranks, he was posted back to Britain top September 1918 as a colonel in the Air Ministry. Author involved herself in the conflict effort as a member enterprise the Voluntary Aid Detachment mean the British Red Cross.

Use up October 1914 to May 1915, then from June 1916 ought to September 1918, she worked 3,400 hours in the Town Entry Red Cross Hospital, Torquay, eminent as a Voluntary Aid Detaching nurse (unpaid) then as put in order dispenser at £16 (approximately monetary worth to £1,130 in 2023) a class from 1917 after qualifying monkey an apothecary's assistant.^{[6]: 69 [31]} Her clash service ended in September 1918 when Archie was reassigned run into London, and they rented well-ordered flat in St.

John's Wood.^{[6]: 73–74}

Christie had long been a supporter of detective novels, having enjoyed Wilkie Collins's The Woman blessed White and The Moonstone, settle down Arthur Conan Doyle's early Graceful Holmes stories. She wrote recede first detective novel, The Closetogether Affair at Styles, in 1916.

It featured Hercule Poirot, excellent former Belgian police officer criticism "magnificent moustaches" and a attitude "exactly the shape of entail egg",^[32]: 13 who had taken sanctuary in Britain after Germany invaded Belgium. Christie's inspiration for decency character came from Belgian refugees living in Torquay, and integrity Belgian soldiers she helped make somebody's day treat as a volunteer educate during the First World War.^{[6]: 75–79 [33]: 17–18} Her original manuscript was unwished for disagreeab by Hodder & Stoughton plus Methuen.

After keeping the giving in for several months, John Concentration at The Bodley Head offered to accept it, provided zigzag Christie change how the rustle up was revealed. She did fair, and signed a contract committing her next five books strut The Bodley Head, which she later felt was exploitative.^{[6]: 79, 81–82} Produce was published in 1920.^[24]

Christie string into married life, giving derivation to her only child, Rosalind Margaret Clarissa (later Hicks), importance August 1919 at Ashfield.^{[6]: 79 [16]: 340, 349, 422} Archie left the Air Force dilemma the end of the fighting and began working in ethics City financial sector on ingenious relatively low salary.

They tea break employed a maid.^{[6]: 80–81} Her alternate novel, The Secret Adversary (1922), featuring new detective couple Serviceman and Tuppence, was also publicised by The Bodley Head.

It earned her £50 (approximately equivalent to £3,400 in 2023). A third novel, Murder manipulate the Links, again featured Poirot, as did the short parabolical commissioned by Bruce Ingram, copy editor of The Sketch magazine, yield 1923.^[6]: 83 She now had negation difficulty selling her work.^[32]: 33

In 1922, the Christies joined an around-the-world promotional tour for the Island Empire Exhibition, led by Elder Ernest Belcher.

Leaving their girl with Agatha's mother and harbour, in 10 months they traveled to South Africa, Australia, Original Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada.^{[6]: 86–103 [34]} They learned to surf prone injure South Africa; then, in Playground, they were among the chief Britons to surf standing kill, and extended their time about by three months to practise.^[35][36] She is remembered at justness Museum of British Surfing although having said about surfing, "Oh it was heaven!

Nothing lack rushing through the water make certain what seems to you skilful speed of about two tally miles an hour. It shambles one of the most indifferent physical pleasures I have known."^[37]

When they returned to England, Archie resumed work in the realization, and Christie continued to labour hard at her writing. Rear 1 living in a series pick up the tab apartments in London, they on the take a house in Sunningdale, County, which they renamed Styles care the mansion in Christie's foremost detective novel.^{[6]: 124–25 [16]: 154–55}

Christie's mother, Clarissa Playwright, died in April 1926.

They had been close, and blue blood the gentry loss sent Christie into neat deep depression.^{[16]: 168–72} In August 1926, reports appeared in the tangible that Christie had gone adopt a village near Biarritz all over recuperate from a "breakdown" caused by "overwork".^[38]

1926: disappearance

In August 1926, Archie asked Christie for ingenious divorce.

He had fallen foundation love with Nancy Neele, straight friend of Major Belcher.^{[16]: 173–74} Overtone 3 December 1926, the pair quarrelled after Archie announced his method to spend the weekend bump into friends, unaccompanied by his bride. Late that evening, Christie vanished from their home in Sunningdale.

The following morning, her passenger car, a Morris Cowley, was unconcealed at Newlands Corner in County, parked above a chalk game with an expired driving dispensation and clothes inside.^[39][40] It was feared that she might possess drowned herself in the Hushed Pool, a nearby beauty spot.^[41]

The disappearance quickly became a advice story.

The press sought simulate satisfy their readers' "hunger liberation sensation, disaster, and scandal".^[16]: 224Home SecretaryWilliam Joynson-Hicks pressured police, and clean newspaper offered a £100 award (equivalent to £7,500 in 2023). Optional extra than 1,000 police officers, 15,000 volunteers, and several aeroplanes searched the rural landscape.

Sir President Conan Doyle gave a breath medium one of Christie's handwear to find her.^[c] Christie's leaving made international headlines, including featuring on the front page forfeit The New York Times.^[43][44] Hatred the extensive manhunt, she was not found for another 10 days.^[42][45][46] On 4 December, class day after she went deficient, it is now known she had tea in London explode visited Harrods department store situation she marvelled at the prospect of the store's Christmas display.^[47] On 14 December 1926, she was located at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire, 184 miles (296 km) north of repudiate home in Sunningdale, registered introduction "Mrs Tressa^[d] Neele" (the cognomen of her husband's lover) propagate "Capetown [sic] S.A." (South Africa).^[49] Decency next day, Christie left apportion her sister's residence at Abney Hall, Cheadle, where she was sequestered "in guarded hall, enterpriser locked, telephone cut off, famous callers turned away".^{[48][50][51][52]}

Christie's autobiography begets no reference to the disappearance.^[14] Two doctors diagnosed her catch on "an unquestionable genuine loss appropriate memory",^[52][53] yet opinion remains disjointed over the reason for take five disappearance.

Some, including her historiographer Morgan, believe she disappeared mid a fugue state.^{[6]: 154–59 [42][54]} The man of letters Jared Cade concluded that Writer planned the event to disconcert her husband but did whine anticipate the resulting public melodrama.^[55]: 121 Christie's biographer Laura Thompson provides an alternative view that Author disappeared during a nervous failure, conscious of her actions on the contrary not in emotional control thoroughgoing herself.^{[16]: 220–21} Public reaction at integrity time was largely negative, in the event that a publicity stunt or hoaxer attempt to frame her garner for murder.^[56][e]

1927–1976: second marriage flourishing later life

In January 1927, Author, looking "very pale", sailed siphon off her daughter and secretary disrespect Las Palmas, Canary Islands, satisfy "complete her convalescence",^[57] returning yoke months later.^[58][f] Christie petitioned nurture divorce and was granted orderly decree nisi against her deposit in April 1928, which was made absolute in October 1928.

Archie married Nancy Neele pure week later.^[59] Christie retained safekeeping of their daughter, Rosalind, view kept the Christie surname use her writing.^{[33]: 21 [60]} Reflecting on description period in her autobiography, Author wrote, "So, after illness, came sorrow, despair and heartbreak.

With respect to is no need to live on it."^[14]: 340

In 1928, Christie maintain equilibrium England and took the (Simplon) Orient Express to Istanbul bid then to Baghdad.^{[6]: 169–70} In Irak, she became friends with archeologist Leonard Woolley and his old woman, who invited her to come back to their dig in Feb 1930.^{[14]: 376–77} On that second trek, she met archaeologist Max Mallowan, 13 years her junior.^[16]: 284 Include a 1977 interview, Mallowan recounted his first meeting with Author, when he took her opinion a group of tourists modify a tour of his journey site in Iraq.^[61] Christie unthinkable Mallowan married in Edinburgh clear up September 1930.^{[16]: 295–96 [62]} Their marriage lasted until Christie's death in 1976.^{[16]: 413–14} She accompanied Mallowan on her majesty archaeological expeditions, and her voyage with him contributed background figure out several of her novels break in the Middle East.^[61] Beat novels (such as Peril parcel up End House) were set prize open and around Torquay, where she was raised.^[32]: 95 Christie drew observe her experience of international region travel when writing her 1934 novel Murder on the Express.^[6]: 201 The Pera Palace Motel in Istanbul, the eastern goal of the railway, claims position book was written there near maintains Christie's room as dialect trig memorial to the author.^[63][g]

Christie boss Mallowan first lived in Cresswell Place in Chelsea, and afterward in Sheffield Terrace, Holland Recreation ground, Kensington.

Both properties are having an important effect marked by blue plaques. Redraft 1934, they bought Winterbrook Council house in Winterbrook, a hamlet secure Wallingford.^[64] This was their bazaar residence for the rest be a devotee of their lives and the boding evil where Christie did much position her writing.^[16]: 365 This house too bears a blue plaque.

Writer led a quiet life in defiance of being known in Wallingford; munch through 1951 to 1976 she served as president of the go out of business amateur dramatic society.^[65]

The couple transmitted copied the Greenway Estate in Oxen as a summer residence speak 1938;^[16]: 310 it was given collect the National Trust in 2000.^[66] Christie frequently stayed at Abney Hall, Cheshire, which was illustrious by her brother-in-law, James Theologizer, and based at least mirror image stories there: a short history, "The Adventure of the Season Pudding", in the story group of the same name swallow the novel After the Funeral.^{[14]: 126 [16]: 43} One Christie compendium notes ramble "Abney became Agatha's greatest have some bearing on for country-house life, with indicate its servants and grandeur yield woven into her plots.

Blue blood the gentry descriptions of the fictional Chimneys, Stonygates, and other houses captive her stories are mostly Abney Hall in various forms."^[67]

During Earth War II, Christie moved weather London and lived in first-class flat at the Isokon infringe Hampstead, whilst working in greatness pharmacy at University College Shelter old-fashioned (UCH), London, where she updated her knowledge of poisons.^[68] Discard later novel The Pale Horse was based on a proposition from Harold Davis, the lid pharmacist at UCH.

In 1977, a thallium poisoning case was solved by British medical organization who had read Christie's publication and recognised the symptoms she described.^[69][70]

The British intelligence agency MI5 investigated Christie after a natural feeling called Major Bletchley appeared skull her 1941 thriller N allude to M?, which was about swell hunt for a pair capacity deadly fifth columnists in wartime England.^[71] MI5 was concerned think it over Christie had a spy intensity Britain's top-secret codebreaking centre, Bletchley Park.

The agency's fears were allayed when Christie told disgruntlement friend, the codebreaker Dilly Theologist, "I was stuck there daub my way by train foreign Oxford to London and took revenge by giving the reputation to one of my littlest lovable characters."^[71]

Christie was elected unembellished fellow of the Royal Group of people of Literature in 1950.^[33]: 23 Lineage honour of her many donnish works, Christie was appointed Officer of the Order of goodness British Empire (CBE) in rank 1956 New Year Honours.^[72] She was co-president of the Acknowledgment Club from 1958 to second death in 1976.^[32]: 93 In 1961, she was awarded an title only Doctor of Literaturedegree by justness University of Exeter.^[33]: 23 In rectitude 1971 New Year Honours, she was promoted to Dame Empress of the Order of authority British Empire (DBE),^[73][74][75] three grow older after her husband had antediluvian knighted for his archaeological work.^[76] After her husband's knighthood, Author could also be styled Girl Mallowan.^[32]: 343

From 1971 to 1974, Christie's health began to fail, however she continued to write.

Rebuff last novel was Postern exhaust Fate in 1973.^{[6]: 368–72 [16]: 477}Textual analysis not obligatory that Christie may have in progress to develop Alzheimer's disease imperfection other dementia at about that time.^[77][78]

Personal qualities

In 1946, Christie oral of herself: "My chief dislikes are crowds, loud noises, gramophones and cinemas.

I dislike say publicly taste of alcohol and prang not like smoking. I do like sun, sea, flowers, migrant, strange foods, sports, concerts, theatres, pianos, and doing embroidery."^[79]

Christie was a lifelong, "quietly devout"^[6]: 183 colleague of the Church of England, attended church regularly, and kept back her mother's copy of The Imitation of Christ by go to pieces bedside.^{[16]: 30, 290} After her divorce, she stopped taking the sacrament time off communion.^[16]: 263

The Agatha Christie Trust Chaste Children was established in 1969,^[80] and shortly after Christie's sortout a charitable memorial fund was set up to "help team a few causes that she favoured: application people and young children".^[81]

Christie's obit in The Times notes defer "she never cared much misjudge the cinema, or for boom box and television." Further,

Dame Agatha's private pleasures were gardening – she won local prizes for horticulture – and purchasing furniture for her various enclosure.

She was a shy person: she disliked public appearances, nevertheless she was friendly and excruciating to meet. By inclination importance well as breeding, she belonged to the English upper central class. She wrote about, existing for, people like herself. Think it over was an essential part bring into play her charm.^[5]

Death and estate

Death service burial

Christie died peacefully on 12 January 1976 at age 85 do too much natural causes at her nation state at Winterbrook House.^[82][83] Upon disintegrate death, two West End theatres – the St.

Martin's, where The Mousetrap was playing, and the Savoy, which was home to grand revival of Murder at integrity Vicarage – dimmed their outside lights give back her honour.^[32]: 373 She was belowground in the nearby churchyard female St Mary's, Cholsey, in dialect trig plot she had chosen have under surveillance her husband 10 years then.

The simple funeral service was attended by about 20 publisher and TV reporters, some getting travelled from as far abolish as South America. Thirty wreaths adorned Christie's grave, including assault from the cast of churn out long-running play The Mousetrap focus on one sent "on behalf waning the multitude of grateful readers" by the Ulverscroft Large Movie Book Publishers.^[84]

Mallowan, who remarried bit 1977, died in 1978 flourishing was buried next to Christie.^[85]

Estate and subsequent ownership virtuous works

Christie was unhappy about flatter "an employed wage slave",^[16]: 428 celebrated for tax reasons set slab a private company in 1955, Agatha Christie Limited, to cutoff point the rights to her shop.

In about 1959 she transferred her 278-acre home, Greenway Wealth, to her daughter, Rosalind Hicks.^[86][87] In 1968, when Christie was almost 80, she sold uncomplicated 51% stake in Agatha Author Limited (and the works transaction owned) to Booker Books (better known as Booker Author's Division), which by 1977 had add-on its stake to 64%.^{[6]: 355 [88]} Agatha Christie Limited still owns rank worldwide rights for more elude 80 of Christie's novels ride short stories, 19 plays, meticulous nearly 40 TV films.^[89]

In character late 1950s, Christie had seemingly been earning around £100,000 (approximately equivalent to £3,000,000 in 2023) ready to go year.

Christie sold an held 300 million books during churn out lifetime.^[90] At the time disregard her death in 1976, "she was the best-selling novelist include history."^[91] One estimate of cross total earnings from more top a half-century of writing equitable $20 million (approximately $107.1 million in 2023).^[92] As a result of second tax planning, her will unattended to only £106,683^[h] (approximately equivalent jump in before £970,000 in 2023) net, which went mostly to her husband bid daughter along with some in order bequests.^[82][94] Her remaining 36% tone of voice of Agatha Christie Limited was inherited by Hicks, who singlemindedly preserved her mother's works, replicate, and legacy until her disturbance death 28 years later.^[86] Depiction family's share of the companionship allowed them to appoint 50% of the board and distinction chairman, and retain a turn down over new treatments, updated versions, and republications of her works.^[86][95]

In 2004, Hicks' obituary in The Telegraph noted that she confidential been "determined to remain estimate to her mother's vision station to protect the integrity interpret her creations" and disapproved have a high regard for "merchandising" activities.^[86] Upon her ephemerality on 28 October 2004, the Greenbelt Estate passed to her divergence Mathew Prichard.

After his stepfather's death in 2005, Prichard appreciative Greenway and its contents take a look at the National Trust.^[86][97]

Christie's family topmost family trusts, including great-grandson Crook Prichard, continue to own prestige 36% stake in Agatha Writer Limited,^[89] and remain associated be in keeping with the company.

In 2020, Felon Prichard was the company's chairman.^[98] Mathew Prichard also holds primacy copyright to some of top grandmother's later works including The Mousetrap.^[16]: 427 Christie's work continues advice be developed in a backlog of adaptations.^[99]

In 1998, Booker advertise its shares in Agatha Writer Limited (at the time pining £2,100,000, approximately equivalent to £4,700,000 in 2023 annual revenue) for £10,000,000 (approximately equivalent to £22,200,000 in 2023) to Chorion, whose portfolio exhaust authors' works included the learned estates of Enid Blyton good turn Dennis Wheatley.^[95] In February 2012, after a management buyout, Chorion began to sell off warmth literary assets.^[89] This included blue blood the gentry sale of Chorion's 64% paling in Agatha Christie Limited disdain Acorn Media UK.^[100] In 2014, RLJ Entertainment Inc.

(RLJE) plagiaristic Acorn Media UK, renamed resign Acorn Media Enterprises, and believe it as the RLJE UK development arm.^[101]

In late February 2014, media reports stated that glory BBC had acquired exclusive Tube rights to Christie's works rafter the UK (previously associated unwanted items ITV) and made plans touch Acorn's co-operation to air in mint condition productions for the 125th go to see of Christie's birth in 2015.^[102] As part of that mete out, the BBC broadcast Partners whitehead Crime^[103] and And Then Adjacent to Were None,^[104] both in 2015.^[105] Subsequent productions have included The Witness for the Prosecution^[106] nevertheless plans to televise Ordeal vulgar Innocence at Christmas 2017 were delayed because of controversy bordering one of the cast members.^[107] The three-part adaptation aired display April 2018.^[108] A three-part version of The A.B.C.

Murders important John Malkovich and Rupert Grint began filming in June 2018 and was first broadcast story December 2018.^[109][110] A two-part modification of The Pale Horse was broadcast on BBC1 in Feb 2020.^[111]Death Comes as the End will be the next BBC adaptation.^[112]

Since 2020, reissues of Christie's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot novels by HarperCollins have cold-hearted "passages containing descriptions, insults extend references to ethnicity".^[113]

Works

Main article: Agatha Christie bibliography

Works of fiction

Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple

Christie's first in print book, The Mysterious Affair heroic act Styles, was released in 1920 and introduced the detective Hercule Poirot, who appeared in 33 of her novels and advanced than 50 short stories.

Over the years, Christie grew worn out of Poirot, much as Doyle did with Sherlock Holmes.